Heather Moore, PT, DPT, CKTP, Owner of Total Performance Physical Therapy, North Wales and Hatfield, PA
Posted:
Tuesday, June 2, 2015, 5:30 AM
Many times as we race we see people on the side of the road in various states of injury. Many people I see are pulled over to the side of the race trying to stretch a muscle that is in spasm. Wanting to continue the race, but not sure what to do, they will try to stretch out the cramp. However, this is not always the most appropriate action.
Let's start first by saying that if you do wind up with a pain in the middle of a race so great it stops you in your tracks, the best course of action is to stop running the race all together and to seek help in the medical tent or from the many medics that roam the course.
But I know even as you read this that most of you will ignore that advice. If you want to run a race and finish it, there is no way a muscle cramp is going to stop you, right? Don't worry though, there are several things you can do it get back on course.
What is the best way to treat a muscle cramp?
First, consider the nutrition that you have taken that day. Have you drank enough water? Have you replaced the electrolytes appropriately? Have you eaten properly for the distance that you are going to be racing? Any one of these questions if you answer 'no' can be the cause of muscle cramps.
Aside from those factors, it could in fact be a pure muscle cramp, or spasm, where the muscle is twitching at a fast rate or has just seized to the point of not being able to perform properly anymore. Common places of cramps when you run are the calf, hamstring (in the back of the leg) and quad (in the front of the leg). Not to say that there are not more places that cramps can occur but these are the most notable.
Next, you need to identify the part of the muscle that is in spasm. It may feel like the whole muscle has seized up, but you want to find where the point of most pain is. There may even be a few points of pain that you can pin point. Start with one and work your way around but try to find the most painful point. Once you identify the painful spots, if you are with someone have them push on the painful spots. Even though it may be extremely painful to have someone touch the area, it is the best thing to do at the time. You can have your partner start with a little amount of pressure and then begin to add more pressure as you are able to tolerate it.
You want to make sure that the muscle is in a relaxed position. So if you are having a cramp in your leg, sit down so your muscles can relax as much as possible. If you are having a back spasm, lay down so you can take the pressure off the low back. It is hard to work on a muscle if it is still supporting your body. So, one of the most important things is to have your partner push on the muscle once it is relaxed.
Be careful not to overstretch the muscle
If a partner is not available then you can do it yourself. This tends to be a little trickier and you do need to be careful. The same principles apply as when you are doing it with a partner, unweight the area, target the most painful spots and apply pressure, a lot of pressure until the pain goes away. While trying to reach the area with the most pain, do twist or contort the muscle or yourself in anyway during the process. If you wind up over stretching the muscle in order to reach it so you could target the spot, then you could wind up actually doing more damage to the area or other areas. Once you reach the area, apply pressure to the point of spasm or points of spasm. Do this until the spasm subsides.
One of the most important things to consider when pushing on the muscle, whether you have a partner or you are doing it yourself, is the amount of pressure you put on the muscle that is in spasm. While at first you may not be able to tolerate a lot of pressure, eventually you need to increase it to the point that you feel relief and the spasm stops. Applying the right amount of pressure will result in a better likelihood that the spasm will not return.
Finally you want to stretch. Once you have broken the tissue up and pushed out some of the garbage that was building up in the muscle, you want to take the time to gently, key word is gently, stretch the area. Do not stretch to the point of pain. It should be held for about thirty seconds and performed six times. Hold the stretch and refrain from bouncing.
Once you have completed these steps, you can resume running. It is advisable that you start out at a slower pace after treating a spasm just to allow your muscles a gradual return. You will also need to drink more water after working on your muscles to help flush even more out of your system that has built up. Doing these simple steps can mean the difference between winning or not winning the race.
Read more Sports Doc for Sports Medicine and Fitness.
Heather Moore, PT, DPT, CKTP
Owner of Total Performance Physical Therapy, North Wales and Hatfield, PA Articles | Twitter
This article is from wwwphilly.com
Posted:
Tuesday, June 2, 2015, 5:30 AM
Many times as we race we see people on the side of the road in various states of injury. Many people I see are pulled over to the side of the race trying to stretch a muscle that is in spasm. Wanting to continue the race, but not sure what to do, they will try to stretch out the cramp. However, this is not always the most appropriate action.
Let's start first by saying that if you do wind up with a pain in the middle of a race so great it stops you in your tracks, the best course of action is to stop running the race all together and to seek help in the medical tent or from the many medics that roam the course.
But I know even as you read this that most of you will ignore that advice. If you want to run a race and finish it, there is no way a muscle cramp is going to stop you, right? Don't worry though, there are several things you can do it get back on course.
What is the best way to treat a muscle cramp?
First, consider the nutrition that you have taken that day. Have you drank enough water? Have you replaced the electrolytes appropriately? Have you eaten properly for the distance that you are going to be racing? Any one of these questions if you answer 'no' can be the cause of muscle cramps.
Aside from those factors, it could in fact be a pure muscle cramp, or spasm, where the muscle is twitching at a fast rate or has just seized to the point of not being able to perform properly anymore. Common places of cramps when you run are the calf, hamstring (in the back of the leg) and quad (in the front of the leg). Not to say that there are not more places that cramps can occur but these are the most notable.
Next, you need to identify the part of the muscle that is in spasm. It may feel like the whole muscle has seized up, but you want to find where the point of most pain is. There may even be a few points of pain that you can pin point. Start with one and work your way around but try to find the most painful point. Once you identify the painful spots, if you are with someone have them push on the painful spots. Even though it may be extremely painful to have someone touch the area, it is the best thing to do at the time. You can have your partner start with a little amount of pressure and then begin to add more pressure as you are able to tolerate it.
You want to make sure that the muscle is in a relaxed position. So if you are having a cramp in your leg, sit down so your muscles can relax as much as possible. If you are having a back spasm, lay down so you can take the pressure off the low back. It is hard to work on a muscle if it is still supporting your body. So, one of the most important things is to have your partner push on the muscle once it is relaxed.
Be careful not to overstretch the muscle
If a partner is not available then you can do it yourself. This tends to be a little trickier and you do need to be careful. The same principles apply as when you are doing it with a partner, unweight the area, target the most painful spots and apply pressure, a lot of pressure until the pain goes away. While trying to reach the area with the most pain, do twist or contort the muscle or yourself in anyway during the process. If you wind up over stretching the muscle in order to reach it so you could target the spot, then you could wind up actually doing more damage to the area or other areas. Once you reach the area, apply pressure to the point of spasm or points of spasm. Do this until the spasm subsides.
One of the most important things to consider when pushing on the muscle, whether you have a partner or you are doing it yourself, is the amount of pressure you put on the muscle that is in spasm. While at first you may not be able to tolerate a lot of pressure, eventually you need to increase it to the point that you feel relief and the spasm stops. Applying the right amount of pressure will result in a better likelihood that the spasm will not return.
Finally you want to stretch. Once you have broken the tissue up and pushed out some of the garbage that was building up in the muscle, you want to take the time to gently, key word is gently, stretch the area. Do not stretch to the point of pain. It should be held for about thirty seconds and performed six times. Hold the stretch and refrain from bouncing.
Once you have completed these steps, you can resume running. It is advisable that you start out at a slower pace after treating a spasm just to allow your muscles a gradual return. You will also need to drink more water after working on your muscles to help flush even more out of your system that has built up. Doing these simple steps can mean the difference between winning or not winning the race.
Read more Sports Doc for Sports Medicine and Fitness.
Heather Moore, PT, DPT, CKTP
Owner of Total Performance Physical Therapy, North Wales and Hatfield, PA Articles | Twitter
This article is from wwwphilly.com